Options
by Wicked R
Summary: after “Enter The Demon“, season 4, Charmed. Cole needs to go to the under world to take care of family business.


Title: Options

Author: Wicked R

Disclaimers: the universe and most characters are the property of the WB. I'm using them for fun only.

Rating: PG.

Genre: glimpse/angst

Summary/Set: after "Enter The Demon", season 4, Charmed. Cole needs to go to the under world to take care of family business.

Pairing: Cole/Phoebe, L/Piper.

Cole and Phoebe shimmered back into the manor to find Piper in the living room, standing on a small ladder to reach the top of a bookcase, "oh, well, I guess some spots in Southern France and just impossible to be left," she referred to the number of hours the two spent on their little private pick nick.

"What are you doing?" Phoebe asked her sister.

"That plant. We put it up there out the way ages ago, but if we don't water it, it will surely die," she reached for it once more, unsuccessfully.

"Cole!" Phoebe gestured to her lover, who shimmered up in the air for a millisecond, snatched the plant and put it down on the table.

"Thanks," Piper climbed down, "never thought it was quite handy having a demon around…I rephrase, maybe it isn't," she lifted her hand to try her blowing up power on the middle aged looking dark woman that has just shimmered next to the table.

"No!" Cole stood in front of the demon, "don't blow her up!"

"Uh," Piper dropped her hands, frustrated, "you know how good it feels when I can channel my dissatisfaction with life into blowing up things? Can't bottle too long…anyway, is there any particular reason I shouldn't blow this one up?"

"Uhm…" Cole looked back at the tall and strong looking demon, who's facial expression was just as questioning as Piper's as to what he will do next, "can you just…maybe leave us Piper?"

Phoebe looked from one to the other, than made a gesture with her head, that meant Piper should do what Cole suggested.

Piper growled, "now demons just drop in for a chit chat?" But she trusted Cole, not to mention her sister that much, so that she gave them the benefit of the doubt and took the stairs, "just shout," she intended on staying close.

"What about the other witch?" The demon woman spoke for the first time.

"She stays," Cole faced her, "and don't try anything."

"Have you lost your mind? Why are you jeopardizing our species? They are the enemy. They must die."

"Mother!" He interrupted her with a facial expression that would've made a lion cringe, "anything else you'd like to say or is it good bye?"

"They…they killed your little brother Edekron," she said very quietly, "it was a witch," she sobbed, then looked up, "in the honour of our family, you need to revenge it!"

"I don't have to do anything."

"I just lost my little boy…tell me I still have you! I cannot believe you still want to be with the witch around after what had just happened," she pleaded.

"I'm sorry mother…I really am sorry."

The demon woman gulped, then wiping her tears, she shimmered out. Cole walked to the stairs, without saying anything at all to his lover, and Phoebe followed to find him packing in the room, "you just moved in with us. What are you doing?"

"Don't worry. I'll be back in a few days," he threw some underwear into a bag.

"If you think you can just do the same old disappearing act like you did on me several times without much explanation…"

"You trust me, don't you? No need for explanations," he closed the bag and started towards the door, "there might not be any time either."

"What are you gonna do?" Phoebe insisted.

"Look, I would be lying if I said I'm not devastated by the news. But I'm not going to honour my mother's request, if that's what you are worried about. However, somebody else might. She will not rest until justice will be done, as she sees it. She might ask my cousin to do it, so I'll let you know who this witch was when I find out myself. Then again, my mother probably won't ask my cousin to do anything. They are not on very good terms. She will most likely try herself," he turned to face her, "you could, in all probability vanquish her easy enough, but I don't want you to. Can you blame me for that?"

Phoebe hugged him, "Cole, we might not have a choice. The loss of a child could make her very aggressive. If she will be there when we're trying to protect…"

"She won't be. My plan is to speak to her and try and revive some emotion in her I know she once had. She can make the right choice, I know she can."

Phoebe sighed, "be careful, ok?" She gave him a fleeting kiss, knowing he would shimmer out in the middle of it and her agonising days of waiting for him will start again.

But she didn't even have to wait a whole hour before Cole appeared in her bedroom, manifesting with a heart wrenching howl. He fell to his knees in front of the bed and buried his face behind his palms.

Stooping beside him, Phoebe put her arms around his trembling shoulders and made an attempt to tug him away from his position to cuddle him. He didn't let her move him on the first try, but on the second, his body folded into her lap, collapsing like a rag doll against the witch. Feeling the wetness against her chest caused by his tears, her own tears started to spill over from her eyes. She didn't know exactly what could have happened, but she knew she had to give him time.

At last, Cole began to speak, "over and over again…I wonder what I could have done…I don't get it…I have tried so hard to do it right…I had to kill her, there was no other way. I vanquished her, Phoebe…how can I live with that?"

Phoebe hugged him even more tightly. She didn't say he made the right choice, she didn't say it will all be better soon, she didn't say anything. There was nothing she could say, she didn't know what to say. But she was certain about one thing. From what he had done for her, there was no turning back. She knew she will never doubt Cole again. Ever.

The End.


End file.
